- The R.E.G.A.L.I.E.R. EP is the first release from Anthony Naples' Proibito imprint, the latest piece in the fast coalescing weird-dance puzzle that attracted so much critical attention last year. Royal Crown Of Sweden is an alias of the Kansas City-based Huerco S., whose releases for the likes of Opal Tapes and Wicked Bass made him one of 2012's most promising new talents. This new moniker focuses on no-frills house jams with an emphasis on, in the producer's own words, "The play between a drum machine and a 4 bar sample." It's not like past Huerco S. productions have been particularly baroque in construction, but these tracks do have a distinctive simplicity to them, borrowing something of the graceful contours of filter house. Still, Huerco proves unable to escape the fuggy haze that makes his productions so recognisable—not that we would wish him to.
"Vänern" and "Vättern" both feature dusty samples draped over flabby percussive frameworks to hypnotic effect, the former almost sugary in tone, the latter with a twitchier sense of propulsion. But "Malaren" is where we really achieve lift-off: a sort of deliciously confused disco edit, filter sweeps flying all over the shop, a bit like a semi-conscious Soundstream perhaps. Finally, Nik, J and Lori (AKA L.I.E.S. affiliates Bookworms and Steve Summers with an additional friend) reconfigure "Vänern" into a groggy, meandering live-jam. It's not all that revelatory, but a nice touch for a label that looks set to remain family-focussed.
TracklistA1 Vanern
A2 Vanern (Bookworms, Steve Summers and Lori Mix)
B1 Vattern
B2 Malaren